Better value for points? Lloyds Avios or Barclaycard Freedom Rewards?

Jlawson118

So earlier this year, I knew I would be travelling a lot over the Summer and wanted a card that I could use abroad for no extra cost, and so I got the Lloyds Avios one. Now I do like their system and I've earned quite a lot of points since having it, but only because I have double points for the first six months and that'll be ending soon. But I did have trouble abroad and Lloyds cancelled the wrong card, leaving me stranded without access to these, and to have them posted from home took about two weeks through Royal Mail's airmail.

Anyway, I've recently started the process of moving over to Barclays from my spare Halifax account, and I applied for the Barclaycard Freedom Rewards, who accepted me and gave me a £3500 limit, which is a lot higher than what Lloyds gave me, and I often use a lot of their partners but I'm not too sure if their points are worth it.

So when my Avios' offer of double points for the first six months runs out, I'm hardly going to be earning that many points, but then again I'd be earning similarly to Barclaycard's. But I don't know which point's system is more worthy of the other, both have their benefits.

With Avois, I can earn points for flights/hotels in which I desire travelling, as well as I can use the card abroad for no extra cost. And then there's Barclaycard, I use a lot of their partners like Nandos, Boots, iTunes etc..but if I use that more, the £24 yearly fee on the Avios card seems pointless..

Any suggestions on which one is better value for points?

PeacefulWaters

Spend will generate X Points worth £Y to me.

Spend will generate X points. FX fees will save £Z. Total worth £Y minus £24.

It's your sum to do as everybody else's spending habit is different.

How you value an Avios is also something of an art. Hotels and car hire tend to make it 0.6p or thereabouts.

A strategically purchased business class seat may have a value several times this. But you may only value the Avios against the economy flight you'd have bought if paying real cash.

£700 overseas spending would roughly cover your £24 fee.

Yawn

Another factor worth considering is whether you need to book any flights at short notice. I have relatives in the Netherlands, and Avios were a god send when one of them passed away. I just checked and there are literally flights available for Amsterdam leaving tomorrow. So for me, Avios is also partly about peace of mind.

Obviously, the same last minute availability argument is sadly not true for holiday destinations further afield (Tenerife, Crete, etc)...

Jlawson118

Yawn wrote: »

Another factor worth considering is whether you need to book any flights at short notice. I have relatives in the Netherlands, and Avios were a god send when one of them passed away. I just checked and there are literally flights available for Amsterdam leaving tomorrow. So for me, Avios is also partly about peace of mind.

Obviously, the same last minute availability argument is sadly not true for holiday destinations further afield (Tenerife, Crete, etc)...

Yeah that does sound good. I might just keep both accounts to be fair, I was thinking of saving my points for Amsterdam too as I seem to go every year now, I do love that beautiful city